Hawaiian South Shore Member of the Month - Erek Riccobuano

When and why did you initially get into surfing?

I first surfed when I was 16 years old in 1989. I borrowed a board before going on a bike trip with the Boy Scouts, where we rode our bikes from Santa Cruz to Pismo Beach. We had someone’s dad carry our boards and tents and tried to surf a bunch of beaches along the way during our week long trek. It was super cold and I didn’t even know what side to apply the wax but I was hooked and by the end of the trip, I was standing up. I continued to surf at Stinson Beach with an occasional trip to Newport Beach. After high school I took a break from surfing until I came to Hawaii in 1995. 

Did you have a time period you laid off from surfing?

After graduating high school in 1991, I took a break from surfing when I moved to Japan. I didn’t pick it back up until I came to Hawaii in 1995. Going to BYU-Hawaii, I surfed at Goat Island, Sunset Beach, Rocky Point, and Turtle Bay. Then I moved back to San Francisco and surfed all over the Northern California coast until I graduated in 1998. I moved back to Japan and surfed Kugenuma Kaigan and Chiba until I moved back to Hawaii for good in 2003. 

What is your favorite thing about surfing? 

I love surfing with and coaching my kids. They grew up surfing everyday and competing almost every weekend. Watching them get good waves is more fun than riding it myself. 

Where is your favorite place to eat after surfing? 

Banzai Bowls in the North Shore

What is your favorite item on the menu?

Da Kine Acai Bowl with extra honey, extra peanut butter in the blend, strawberries, and chia seeds. 

What other hobbies do you have besides surfing?

Basketball, working out, online Chess, and watching MotoGP

What type of work do you do? 

Services Delivery Manager for Cisco Systems. Basically, I manage our services business and engineers the Pacific region. We implement and optimize IT networks for our customers in Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Alaska, and Guam. 

Tell us about the board you recently purchased from us. What model and size is it, and how do you like its performance?

For the small days in the South Shore winter season, and when I’m too lazy to drive to the north shore, I bought a 9’9” Firewire Timbertek Special T  log. It catches everything. Although I prefer to ride a longboard, I wanted something that would get me motivated to surf even the smaller days.  

Do you have any additional comments? 

My quiver consists of The 9’9” Firewire Special T Timbertek, 9’0 Firewire Timbertek TJ Pro, 6’6” Firewire Sci-Fi 2.0, and 6’1” Firewire Glazer. I am 6’2” tall and weigh 220lbs. 

All I need now is a gun for the bigger days in North Shore and the quiver will be complete.